Life — December 29, 1910 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

mE Priscilla Offers a Prize KNOW that the study of logic does not appeal to many women, so perhaps the expression argumentum ad hominem needs translation or explanation, although the proc- ess it describes is more often used by women than by men. The argumentum ad hominem is resorted to by the party to a debate, a discussion or a dis- pute when he or she finds that his or her side of the question has no merit of its own. It con- sists in more or less skilfully turning the discussion from the question at issue to an attack on the personality of the dis- putant.on the other side. In 4 the legal profession this prin- ciple of logic is summed up in the advice to young lawyers: “Tf you find you haven't a case, abuse the other lawyer.” It seems that the enemies of our sacred cause show their own weakness by their frequent resort to the argumentum ad hominem, or, to be more correct, the argumentum ad feminam, When they say that our peerless leaders are in the movement only for the notoriety they get out of it, they set forth no argument against Votes for Women. Pod VEN if they could make every ed one believe their claim that the most conspicuous American Suf- fragettes are failures as women in the positions of life that women #A most adorn, our opponents are why men should monopolize the bal- lot. Even when they say that our leaders are brazen creatures who prefer the excitement and conspicuousness of publicity gained at no matter what expenditure of womanly modesty, our critics are not hurting our cause. Because the feeble- minded members of our sex prefer domesticity to making public exhibitions of themselves it does not mean that they are not yearning for the right to go to the polls. Our leaders are representing those weak creatures because they haven't the sense to represent themselves. They are poor shackled slaves ground down under the heel of tyrant man and no amount of abuse will make our dauntless leaders stand aside from their self-appointed duty and pleasure of attracting public notice to themselves and the cause. HE great danger to Votes for Women lies in the tendency of the public to get sick of things that are constantly harped upon. We have done our best to keep the public in- terested, but there are already signs that it is tiring of our cause. Our street-corner mectings no longer elicit even ridi- cule. The younger and prettier sisters hold the attention for a moment and then the stupid public goes on about-its regular business. Even the newspapers are beginning to shy at con- tinually printing the names of the same old peerless leaders. What we need is new blood, new ideas. In America quiet crusades accomplish nothing. We must be sensational or we are lost. Iam going to offer a prize for the best idea to keep alive interest in our sacred cause of Votes for Women. Out of my own slender resources I will give a bright new Silver Dol- lar to the person, male or female, Suffragette or Anti-Suffra- gette, who submits the best plan to revive interest in our cause. I don’t care what it is, no matter how ridiculous or how undignified, if it only serves to attract attention to us and “our object all sublime.” Remember—a bright new Silver Dollar, and the contest is open to the whole wide world. ICTORY has perched upon our banners! The women voters of Rye, N. Y., have elected their candidate for school trustee by one hundred and sixteen majority. The news- paper account of the election says that the women had pre- viously discussed the election at pink teas and card club meet- ings and many had made a house-to-house canvass, urging their friends to vote for Theodore Freud, the village butcher, against William H. Geary, a New York business man, who commutes to Rye. The present election was a special one, a lady candidate at the regular election, Mrs. William H. Par- sons, having charged that there was fraud and that it ought all to be done over again. At this election a number of women were challenged, on the ground that they were not legal voters, because they were not property owners, but most of them swore in their votes. Isn't that perfectly lovely! It shows that when it comes to voting women are just as smart as men. When we get Votes for Women there isn’t a doubt on earth there will be lady Ward Bosses or District Leaders, or whatever they are called, and it will be a poor sort of woman who can’t vote her servant-girls for the candidate she favors. Priscttra JawBones, Satan: 1 HAVE CALLED YOU IN TO EXPLAIN THIS PECULIAR RECORD, YOU ARE RECORDED WITH THE SAME LIE SEVENTE! THOUSAND TIMES, THIS IS THE ONLY SIN YOU MAVE coM- MITTED, 1 AM CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY YOU TOLD THIS SAME LI£ SO MANY TIMES, New Arrival: WELL, YouR MAJESTY, 11's THIS WAY: MY WIFE IS VERY FAT, AND EVERY TIME WE PASSED A WOMAN WILO WAS THE LEAST BIT PLUMP, SHE WOULD SAY, “AM I AS FAT AS THAT?” AND T ALWAYS REPLIED, “ MERCY! MY DEAR, NO!”